The Jefferson County Democrats hosted a dinner and candidate forum at Volunteer Hall in Boulder May 9, which was attended by over 90 people and 13 campaigns. Candidates for local, state, and national races addressed the crowd over the course of the evening.
“We’re focused on getting Democrats elected up and down the ballot,” said Montana Democrats executive director Sheila Hogan. “Events like this are a great way to bring Democrats together and show community.”
Jefferson County Democrats co-chairs Terry Minow and Bryher Herak organized the event with fellow officers Rex Rogers, Joy Lewis, and David Englund. Jefferson County Democrats hosts the event annually.
“We are here because we believe in and work to support our system of free and fair elections,” said Minow. The forum addressed a range of issues, including election integrity, property taxes, protections for critical Montana industries and education.
“I recently pushed to reinstate bans on food imports from foreign countries, like Paraguay, because I won’t stand for the USDA cutting corners and putting the health and safety of our beef supply, and America’s consumers at risk when we have safe, high quality beef right here in Montana,” said U.S. Senator Jon Tester in a statement presented by a reelection campaign representative, Tully Olsen. “Mitch McConnell has made it his personal mission to come after me and try to buy the Montana Senate seat. He personally handpicked a guy to run for Senate; an out of state multi-millionaire from Minnesota named Tim Sheehy.”
Candidates addressed Republican opponents in their respective races frequently throughout the evening, while emphasizing their own policy priorities and the potential pernicious impact of continued Republican influence on Montana state politics.
“I have two opponents on the Republican side who are both former deputies under Elsie Artzen,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Shannon O’Brien. “If you look at their literature, they talk about school privatization and charter schools; their code word, for the far-right, is parental rights. I’m a mama. I was a school teacher, an education policy advisor, and currently a state-senator. I’m fighting the good fight for public education.”
Local candidates Jeffrey Benson, for state Senate District 38, Nancy Jane Lien, for House District 75, and Craig Doolittle and Keith Foley, both declared non-partisan candidates for Jefferson County Commission, concluded the event.
“This was an opportunity to discuss taking back our Montana,” said Lien.
